2012 Aragon World Superbike | Review

The 2012 World Superbike began the second half of the season this weekend at Motorland Aragon, Spain.

And when round eight of 14 finished its typical double header on Sunday, the same two men who were victorious last season during the track’s debut on the WSBK calendar were once again winners – Aprilia Racing Team’s Max Biaggi, who took race one, and BMW Motorrad’s Marco Melandri, who took race two.

In race one, Biaggi would be joined on the grid by Melandri and Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa, respectively. In race two, Melandri would be joined Aprilia Racing’s Eugene Laverty and ParkinGO MTC Aprilia’s Chaz Davies, a rookie in the series.

When race one got underway, Biaggi got off the line quickly from his second start spot. Once ahead of the man who earned his sixth pole this season, Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes, Biaggi remained unmatched. But by mid race, Melandri began putting up a fight.

Both riders exchanged the lead a few times, but on the penultimate lap, Biaggi took the lead and maintained it to the checkered flag. Melandri finished 0.278 of a second behind Biaggi with the reigning World SBK Champ Carlos Checa in third. Fourth went to Davies and fifth to Laverty.

Sykes lost out on the final podium position when Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) lost the front of his BMW S1000RR and hit Sykes’ rear wheel, sending both riders to ground.

With his win, Biaggi has now won four times this season, including three consecutive wins after his double at Misano last outing.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team RSV4 World Superbike) says: “We certainly didn’t hold anything back. We were basically all in the same conditions, so there was no way to make the difference. I really had to give 100%, especially after the halfway point when the tires started to lose grip and I had to be careful not to make any mistakes. After overtaking the last time in Race 1, the decisive overtake, I gained a few meters advantage and managed to win.”

The second race became a four-rider battle between Melandri, Biaggi, Laverty and Davies. Melandri would get off the line quickly, passing his teammate Leon Haslam. The Italian then began chasing down Biaggi and Laverty out front. Soon Davies joined the action up front, making for a four-rider battle.

However, despite being outnumbered three to one by his rivals on Italian machinery, it was Melandri and his BMW S1000RR that came out on top in the frenetic closing stages.

On the penultimate lap, with Biaggi piling on pressure behind him, Marco passed Chaz Davies and then made a move on Eugene Laverty on the final lap to take the lead, which he bravely held on to take the victory – by just 0.042 seconds over Laverty, BMW reports. Davies would take the final podium position, followed by Biaggi and Honda World Superbike’s Jonathan Rea.

The win was Melandri’s seventh WSBK career win – and his third for BMW Motorrad Motorsport – after celebrating victories at Donington and Miller Motorsports Park earlier this year.

Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad S1000RR World SBK) says: “I put all my effort to get the win. It was not easy because the wind was very strong and the Aprilia guys were pushing hard. In the beginning, Max could not go as fast as in race one and for me it was similar. Eugene was very fast and suddenly with only a few laps to go, Max overtook me.

“I passed him back but went wide and so Chaz and Eugene went past me. And they were riding so strong and so fast that it was not easy. For the last lap I had no plan, because when racing against those guys you cannot think about a plan because they try to pass you every corner. So I just tried to find a good place for braking at the end of the straight. Now we will try some more things in the test tomorrow and keep working in this direction in the next races.”

In the championship point race, Biaggi retains the lead with 248.5. Following 48 points behind is Melandri with 200.5. Rea is in third with 183 points, followed by Checa with 175.5 and Sykes with 172.5.

The 2012 World Superbike Championship now takes a three-week break before resuming at Brno in the Czech Republic July 22.